MOSCOW – The pro-Russian breakaway region of South Ossetia has detained several observers from the OSCE for illegally crossing the Georgian-South Ossetian border, a separatist official told Reuters on Tuesday. “OSCE representatives were detained on South Ossetian territory for illegal border crossing,” Irina Gagloyeva said, without giving further details. She …
Read More »Georgia protesters again press president to resign
Tbilisi, Georgia – About 20,000 demonstrators Friday kept up the pressure on Georgia’s president to resign, with some pelting his residence with cabbages and carrots on a second day of protests. President Mikheil Saakashvili rejected their demands and called for talks. The crowd was smaller than on Thursday, a national …
Read More »Georgia braces for more protests
Georgia is bracing for a second day of mass protests as the opposition vows to increase pressure on President Mikheil Saakashvili to resign. In the biggest protest against his rule since an August war with Russia, at least 60,000 opposition supporters rallied in Tbilisi on Thursday demanding Saakashvili leave office …
Read More »Over 50 thousand protesters demand Saakashvili resignation
Tens of thousands of Georgian opposition supporters have taken to the streets of the capital, Tbilisi, pressing for the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili. Former close allies of the president addressed a large rally near Georgia’s parliament Thursday as protesters rallied in the capital and in other cities. The protesters …
Read More »Calls for Calm in Georgia Ahead of Mass Rallies
The government of Georgia and the influential Georgian Orthodox Church appealed for calm on Wednesday as the opposition prepared mass demonstrations to demand the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili. The opposition expects to being tens of thousands into the streets of the capital Tbilisi on Thursday at the start of …
Read More »Tens of thousands expected for Georgia rally
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters were expected to take to the streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi for the start of mass protests aimed at ousting President Mikheil Saakashvili. Opposition leaders have vowed to rally at least 100,000 supporters and to continue protesting until Saakashvili resigns and calls early …
Read More »New gas pipeline to deprive Georgia of last possibility of pressure on S-Ossetia
TSKHINVALI – Georgia will lose the last opportunity to put pressure on South Ossetia with the commissioning of a gas pipeline from Russia, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said before a Tuesday meeting with Gazprom representatives. “One the gas pipeline extension from the North Ossetian town of Dzuarikau becomes operational, …
Read More »Turkey to build housing for Georgian war victims
The Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) will construct 100 residential units for Georgians displaced by the country’s most recent war. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony near the Georgian city of Gori on Saturday, TİKA head Musa Kulaklıkaya said that the construction of the units will be completed soon and …
Read More »Russia warns US on Georgia
MOSCOW – Russia sent a strong warning to the United States Thursday about supporting Georgia in the U.S. ally’s efforts to rebuild its military following last year’s war. The Foreign Ministry said helping arm Georgia would be “extremely dangerous” and would amount to “nothing but the encouragement of the aggressor.”
Read More »Georgia ‘planning’ revenge for war defeat, says Russia
Russia has accused Georgia of planning revenge against pro-Moscow separatists and warned the US against arms sales to Tbilisi. Georgia’s US-trained armed forces were routed by Russian troops during a five-day war last August when Tbilisi tried to retake its rebel South Ossetia region by force. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili …
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